Lattice
Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ:LSCC), the leading provider of
customizable smart connectivity solutions, today announced the
industry’s first Lattice CrossLink™ programmable bridging device that
supports leading protocols for mobile image sensors and displays.
Systems with embedded cameras and displays often do not have the right
type or number of interfaces, which can be resolved using a bridge. The
new CrossLink device combines the flexibility and fast time to market of
an FPGA with the power and functional optimization of an ASSP to create
a new product class called programmable ASSP (pASSP™). As the first
product in this category, the CrossLink device is a low cost video
interface bridge with the highest bandwidth, lowest power and smallest
footprint. This makes it the optimal solution for virtual reality
headsets, drones, smartphones, tablets, cameras, wearable devices and
human machine interfaces (HMIs).

The new CrossLink device combines the flexibility and fast time to market of an FPGA with the power and functional optimization of an ASSP to create a new product class called programmable ASSP (pASSP™). (Graphic: Business Wire)

Takes the strongest features from ASSPs and FPGAs to deliver the best
solution of both worlds.

“The latest wave of image capture and display technology, including
drones and VR, is creating real industry excitement. Combining these new
technologies with a global base of 3.7 billion smartphones and tablets
that’s set to rise more than 30 percent by 2020, all equates to a wide
variety of interfaces that must be integrated to ensure compatibility,”
said Carl Hibbert, associate director of entertainment content and
delivery, Futuresource Consulting. “The ability to manage these
interfaces through a low cost, low power and small footprint bridging
solution is essential.”

Bridging the Video Connectivity Gap

Image Sensor Applications

Lattice’s CrossLink bridge can multiplex, merge and arbitrate between
multiple image sensors to a single input. The device can also interface
between high-end industrial and popular A/V image sensors with mobile
application processors. This is ideal for 360, action, surveillance and
DSLR cameras along with drones, augmented reality products and more.

Display Applications

With the CrossLink device, it is possible to receive video data from one
MIPI DSI interface and send it out over two MIPI DSI interfaces at half
the bandwidth. The same video stream can be split to two interfaces,
ideal for virtual reality headsets and mobile set top boxes. Customers
can also integrate consumer and industrial panels with RGB or LVDS
interfaces with mobile applications processors. The CrossLink bridge can
convert from MIPI DSI to multiple lanes of CMOS or LVDS interfaces such
as MIPI DPI, OpenLDI and proprietary interface formats for HMIs, smart
displays, smart homes and more.

“The CrossLink bridge has the flexibility of an FPGA and the performance
of an ASSP for video technologies,” said C.H. Chee, senior director of
consumer product marketing, Lattice Semiconductor. “Our product has a
variety of applications for high-volume growth segments that demand
fast, flexible innovation and solves the pressing challenge of having
too many incompatible interfaces on one device.”

Availability

CrossLink evaluation boards are available now from Lattice and its
distributors and production devices will be available shortly. To learn
more, please visit www.latticesemi.com/CrossLink.

Lattice Semiconductor Corporation, Lattice Semiconductor (& design),
CrossLink, pASSP, and specific product designations are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Lattice Semiconductor Corporation
or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries.

MIPI® is a registered trademark owned by the MIPI Alliance.

GENERAL NOTICE: Other product names used in this publication are
for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their
respective holders.